Bristol rolls over Berlin in Nutmeg Games baseball

Monday, July 22, 2013 10:55 PM EDT

By CHRIS MCLAUGHLIN

NEW BRITAIN ? Though the difference between age 11 and 12 is small in terms of time, it makes a huge difference on a baseball field, as the older and stronger Bristol?s Clubhouse Cadets cruised to a 20-1 mercy-rule victory over the young New England Knights of Berlin.

Though rain threatened for much of the game the skies held up long enough to get the Nutmeg Games 12U little league game in. Bristol opened the game up with a lead-off homerun from David Bascogilo, and with the lead in hand, it never looked back, overpowering the Knights in four innings.

?This was a good tune up to see what we have,? Bristol coach Jason Porrini said. ?Our third pitcher, Will Homar, throws pretty hard, and they were fouling them off and staying in there. That?s a tough bunch of kids there, they?re going to be good ball players in a couple years.? Despite the blow-out loss, Berlin coach Mike Church was pleased with what he saw from his players. Coaches from both teams were very impressed how the much smaller Berlin players were unfazed by towering Bristol players, who threw harder than anything they had seen at the little league level. Bristol pitchers even mixed in curveballs, which is something very few 11 and 10 year-olds have ever faced. The Knights were caught in-between at the Nutmeg Games, as they were too big for the U10 division, and too small for the U12, but that didn?t stop them from scrapping their way through four innings. ?We have a bunch of 10 and 11-year olds, and that was a big team of all-stars, so I?m really proud of our guys for getting some good cuts and battling,? Berlin coach Mike Church said. ?They were just way bigger, and they did what they were supposed to do. The thing I was most happy with was their pitchers threw harder than I?ve ever seen a little leaguer seen and we took some outstanding at-bats. This was a good learning opportunity for them.?

While the pitching of Bristol caused difficulties for Berlin, the Cadets? offense also proved to be too much. From top to bottom, the Cadets? players put up some jaw-dropping numbers in the box score. Bascogilo, who started the game off with a homer, blasted another in the top of the second, Homar finished the game 4-for-4 with a homer, five RBI and three runs scored, and Noah Gibbon who didn?t even start finished the game 2-for-2 with three RBI and two doubles in the same inning.

?We have guys on the bench that are good they could easily start,? Porrini said. ?This is a talented bunch of kids so we?re just looking to have some fun.?

Though Berlin managed to hold Bristol scoreless in the third, the Cadets nearly batted around twice in the fourth, putting a 12 spot on the board. While many teams would pack it in after trailing by 19 runs, Berlin continued to scrap in the fourth. Billy Wodolowski led off the inning with a solid base hit, and though the next three batters went down, they all had quality at-bats.

?I?m real proud of how hard we played,? Church said. ?Even to the last out they put some good at-bats in. No matter what we?re going to play hard.?

Both teams have a short turnaround as they play today. Bristol faces the West Hartford Commanders, while Berlin plays the BTL Tides.

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Source: http://www.bristolpress.com/articles/2013/07/22/sports/doc51edf01038324160742521.txt

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